Automatic weighing and feeding machine for textile fibers.



D. U. FISHER.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING AND FEEDING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1908.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

3 BHEBTSr-BHEET 1.

12%72"Za7 jazz a'eZ G. $157227 D. G. FISHER. AUTOMATIC WEIGHING ANDFEEDING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1908. 1,055,391, Patented Mar.11,1913.

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D. G. FISHER.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING AND FEEDING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20, 1908.

1,055,391. Patented Mar.11,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

y 26672565 6' jar/2127" DANIEL G. FISHER, 011' BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING AND FEEDING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE FIBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

Application filed July 20,5 1908. Serial No. 444,319.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DANIEL C. Frame, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Weighing and Feeding Machines for TextileFibers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of machinery used for the automaticweighing preparation and feeding of fibrous material to other machinerysuch as carding engines, pickers and similar machinery used in thepreparation of fibrous materials.

It frequently happens that the manufacturer finds it advisable ornecessary to combine in different or varying proportions severaldifferent kinds of material, such as cotton, wool and shoddy in themanufacture of yarn, and in order to do this successfully it is highlyimportant that the feeding machine shall have the property ofamalgamating or mixing the different fibers so that the proportions thathave been predetermined shall be distributed uniformly. Machines forthis purpose in a more or less effective construction are well known andhave been in use for'many years. In practiceit has been shown that noone of these machines has developed the capacity of treating differentclasses and conditions of the several fibers named uniformly withsatisfactory results; in consequence of which the builders have found itnecessary to construct special machinery to suit the requirements of themanufacturer who buys his invention, and it has been found necessary tomake a wide variation in the construction of the best known and mostpopular of this class of machinery.

The use of widely divergent fibers in the manufacture of textile fabricshas become general because of the change of styles in materials demandedby the trade from one season to another, has made it necessary for themanufacturer to have machinery that will handle different classes offibers equally well and with uniform results. It therefore becomesimportant to the manufacturer who is obliged to use this class ofmachinery, that he shall be able to buy a machine that can be made tosuit the varying conditions that his trade may impose upon him; and theobject of this invention is to supply a machine that will fulfil therequirements of the manufacturer without regard to conditions which haveheretofore compelled him to replace a machine which he may have in use,by another machine of any make that has been constructed to meet thechanged conditions, which represent. the different lengths of fiber ofthe new styles which are constantly recurring in his business, as wellas the quantity of work to be performed that will make his productionsuccessful. Any machine which will preserve the blending of thesematerials would be of reat value to him. Experience has shown t at aftera period of nearly 30 years in the use of automatic feeding machinery,the machines in use have failed to perform this work satisfactorily, andthe separation of these fibers in more or less degree has resulted fromthe use of automatic feeding machinery. Up to the present time thefeeding machines have saved the manufacturer labor cost, but have beenof questionable value in the hundling of material. In the machinehereinafter described and claimed the defects heretofore observed inmachinery of this type are eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 shows the left side elevation ofthe ma.- chine. Fig. 2 represents the right side elevation. Fig. 3represents top plan and section of pin apron, anti-friction guide rollsand combs. Fig. 4 represents rear elevation of apron and anti-frictionguide rolls. Fig. 5 represents transverse section of left wing andpushboard mechanism. Fig. 6 represents left side elevation of thegearing mechanism, levers and connecting rod and slotted links for theoperation of the pushboard, and the releasing mechanism for. opening andshutting the weighing scale. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the releasingmechanism of the scale pan. Fig. 8 represents longitudinal section offeed apron, matter, and pushboard.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

It will be seen from the foregoing description and sheets ofillustrationthat I use in this construction a machine with a largereceiving chamber l0where the material is placed that is to be fed. Atthe bot tom of this receiving chamber 10 is located an apron 11suspended between two shafts 12, 13. The receiving chamber 10 is alsosupplied with a transferring apron 14 suspended between two shafts 15,16, which hold it in position and furnish power to revolve it. Mountedin this receiving chamber 10 on either side from 17, 17, by suitablejournals is a preparing comb 18 to assist in the preparation andspreading of the fibers brought forward by the transferring apron. ()nthe downward stretch of the transferring apron 14 I have located a comb19 for the purpose of clearing by vibration the fibers from the surfaceof the transferring apron. The formation and purposes of these severalappliances are fully described in my patent of December 3, 1907, Number872,719. The frames 17 on this machine are provided with adjustableanti-friction guide rolls 20, that are located in the transverse planesof both stretches of the apron 14, so as to preserve alinement of thepins 29 with the spaces between the teeth of the combs 18 and 19. Theseanti-friction rolls 20 are designed to retain the apron in exactalinem-ent, which prevents undesirable contact and wear of the apronagainst the stationary sides 17 of the machine, and permits of a closeadjustment of the opening comb 18 located in the receiving chamber 10,also of the stripping comb 19 which clears the fibers from thetransferring apron and deposits them in the weighing. scale 21. By theseseveral mechanisms I am able to use a much longer pin in thetransferring apron which transfers a greater amount of fibers with avery material reduction in speed, and a consequent saving of staple, anda preservation of the mixes. Owing to the fact that the transferringapron is composed of slats, the said apron as a whole is laterallyinflexible. Therefore the guide rolls 20 positively prevent theliability of any portion of the apron from moving laterally so as tolose the accurate alinement of the points of the pins carried by theapron with the recesses between the comb teeth. This is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3.

The apron 11 at the bottom of the receiving chamber is operated bygearing 22 shown in Fig. 2 attached to the two shafts 12, 15 of theadjacent aprons. The stripping comb 19 is actuated by means of a gear 23fastened to the upper shaft 16 of the transferring apron 14. The gear 23meshes into a crank gear 24 of smaller diameter, which revolves muchmore rapidly, and by means of a stud 25 attached to its surface and alink 26 connecting the stud to a lever 27 that is fastened to the shaft28 that supports the'comb 19, and by this means imparting vibration ofthe stripping comb over the surface of the transferring apron and servesto operate the clearing comb only durmg the rotation of the transferringapron, and thereby effectually preventing the discharge of fibers fromthe transferring apron at the instant of the arrest of the rotation ofthe transferring apron, shown in Fig. 2.

The stripping comb 19 is constructed so as to fill the spaces betweenthe pins on the transferring apron 14 and may be set at an angle orcurved to prevent the fibers from following the comb on the returnstroke. It is constructed of a thin blade of steel or other metal withrecesses deep enough and wide enough to permit of the pins 29 on thetransferring apron passing through the recesses 30, as shown in Fig. 3.The broad surface ofthe comb, which is in perfect alinement with theslats 31 of the transferring apron, is cut into fine teeth 32, whichengage with the fibers that are impaled on the pins 29 and adhere to thesurface of the transferring apron, enabling it to take these fibersabsolutely clear of the pins and the surface of the apron. It has beenfound in practice that strips of leather or other material have neverbeen able to keep these pins clean, and it becomes necessary for theoperator to frequently stop the machine and clear the pins of fibersthat adhere to them, as they are frequently filled to half their length,reducing their efficiency to about that proportion.

The scale 21 is of the usual proportions and formation, the two wings 33being operated as hereinafter explained.

The mechanism for stopping and starting Fig.

patent of December 3, 1907, Number 872,719,

as is also the mechanism for opening the scale. The feed apron 34, thematter 35, and the pushboard 36 are shown in Fig. 8. The actuatingmechanism of the pushboard 36 is shown in Fig. 6. The pushboard isdesigned to move diagonally, or can be adjusted so as to move in directline with the surface of the feed apron 34 by means which I now proceedto describe.

As shown by Figs. 5 and 8, each end of the pushboard is provided with anelongated boss 44 which is adapted to slide in a slot 45 in thecorresponding wing 38. The

bosses 44 prevent tilting of the pushboard,

and from them extend cylindrical ends 74 with which are connected links43. The links are formed with elongated slots 42 into which projections41 extend from a pair of arms 39 rigidly mounted upon opposite ends of ashaft 37. Tnorder to vary the amount of lost motion of the projections41 in the slots 42, so as to vary the throw or amount of reciprocationof the pushboard, the slots 42 are provided with blocks 46 which may besecured in any desired position by means of set screws. As shown in Fig.6 however, said blocks 46 may be set up close to prevent lost motion.These blocks 46 may of course be so shaped and secured as to provide forlost motion at either or both ends of the slot 42 and consequentlyimpart just the desired amount of reciprocations to the pusher or pushboard. The matter 35 serves to impart an even shape to the bulk ofmaterial accumulated by the pushboard, and for this purpose it isafiixed upon a rock shaft which receives its motion from a rod 76through an arm 77 and link 78 (see Fig. 2). The rod 76 is that whichserves to transmit motion from a crank gear 79 to an arm 80 on the shaft81 which .carries the comb 18. The actuating mechanism of the pushboardimparts a reciprocatory motion by which the pushboard is made tocooperate with the apron 34; in feeding the deposited mass of fiberstoward the carding engine. In conjunction therewith, the matter 35, byrepeatedly descending upon the mass so fed, preserves substantiallyuniform density thereof notwithstanding the gradual decrease of the massas it is taken by the carding engine.

A series of three gears 47, 48, 49, are locat-ed on the side of theframe as shown in To one ofthese gears 49 is at-' are oscillated. Motionis communicated to the gear 49 by the gear 47 mounted on feed apronshaft 53 and the intermediate gear 48, a change of speeds being effectedby removing the gear 47 mounted on the apron shaft and substituting alarger or a smaller gear.

The relative speeds of the feed apron andthe pushboard have been fixedin all previous machines, and no change has been provided for orconsidered necessary, as in practice it has been customary to increaseor decrease the quantity of fibers desired in the scale or Weighingapparatus. This has resulted in very uneven and imperfect work from thefeeder.

It will be seen from the illustration in the drawings of the severalpatents granted on this class of machines, that there is only onefulcrum on the scale, and any shifting of the material in the recess ofthe scale pan results in uneven weighing of the fibers in the scale.Said recess is approximately 10 inches wide. Unless the space is filledso that the fibers occupy practically the entire space in the weighingapparatus, said fibers are liable to shift their distance from thefulcrum to such an extent as to materially affect the value of theweighing device as to accuracy. For the above-named reasons I have madeprovision for the speed changes represented in the accompanying drawingsin the gearing and provided slotted mechas Whith enables me to f l theig ng scale practically full at all times and under all conditions; andby reason of the beforenamed gears, levers, and slotted connectinglinks, I am able to change the distance traversed upon the apron by thepushboard and consequently am able to distribute the same amount offibers over any surface distance or area of the feed apron that may besuggested by the requirements of the work being done.

Having provided the means for definitely distributing the fibers uponthe surface of the feed apron, it is highly important that the fibersshall be accurately Wei hed, and it has been found desirable that t eoperator be provided with the means of definitely determining the amountof fibers that are being weighed. Heretofore, the scale beams on thisclass of machinery have been marked or graduated more or lessaccurately, and a sliding weight has been used in ractice to change theamount of fibers weig ed by the scale. The value of the graduations andthe distance of the weight from the fulcrum represents nothing definitein machines commonly in use, and variations therein can only be theresult of guess work on the part of the o erator, often resulting inloss of time an uneven work. I have, therefore provided a pendant weight55 suspended from one of the scale beams 56 of the apparatus at a fixedpoint on the scale beam, s0 that when the scale has been properlybalanced after the manner of commercial weighing machines in common use,given weights 57 representing actual Wei hts of fibers to be weighed,can be attache in the usual way to the pendant 55 provided for thatpurpose.

Having described the mechanism for weighing certain quantities of fiber,and the spreading of this certain quantity of fiber over a given area ofthe feed apron 3-1, which is attached to a carding engine, or othersimilar machinery, by the usual gearing, and is driven at a uniformspeed, I proceed with a description of the means for the opening andshutting of the scale pan at regular intervals.

The scale beams 56 which embrace opposite ends of the scale pan 21 aremounted upon fulcrums at 82. One beam 56 has the pendant weight 55hereinbefore mentioned, and the other beam has a weight 83 which isadjustable toward and from the fulcrum. The weights 55 and 83 together,overbalance the pan 21 when empty. An auxiliary beam 65 at one end ofthe pan 21 is also mounted on a fulcrum at 82 and serves to normallyclose the wings 33 which constitute the bottom of the pan. The wingswhich are hinged at 84 have arms 85 and 86, one rigidly connected toeach wing, and adapted to overlap the other. The arm 85 has a stud 87which occupies a slot 88 in the other arm and which thereby couples thewings so that they may be moved in unison. The arm 85 is connected by alink 89 with a pin 64 extending from one end of the beam 65. A weight 90on the other end of the beam 65 is adapted to normally close the wings33 whether the pan be empty or full.

A lever 58 mounted on a fulcrum at 63 is actuated at regular intervalsso as to cause one end, which overlies the pin 64, to depress the sameand so separate the wings and discharge the contents of the pan. Themeans for actuating the lever 58 derives its power from an upstandingshaft 91 which revolves continuously in the direction indicated by anarrow in Fig. 1. The shaft 91 is provided with a bevel pinion 92 whichis adapted to intermesh with a bevel gear 60 of which a portion of theteeth are omitted, as shown by Figs. 1, 6, and 7. When the blank spacecaused by the omission of the teeth is at the lowest position, as shownby these figures, there is no engagement with the pinion 92. In thisposition the gear may be heldby means which include a pin 59 on the backface of the gear 60, a stop arm 61 having a shoulder 95, and theperiphery of the crank disk 96. The arm 61 is pivotally mounted on astud 97 and its free end lies upon the periphery of the crank disk,which, excepting at the point where the depression 62 is located,supports it so that the shoulder 95 lies in the path of rotation of thepin 59. The gear 60 is formed, as shown by Fig. 7, with a weightedportion 98 which tends to move it in the direction of the arrow when thepin 59 lies against the stop 95. One end of the lever 58 intersects thepath of rotation of the pin 59 and is adapted to be actuated thereby forthe purpose of opening the scale pan.

The operation is as follows: The disk 96, which is driven by the feedapron 34, during the greater part of its movement, holds the stop arm 61in operative position, but when the depression 62 registers with thefree end of the arm, the latter drops, thereby releasing the pin 59. Thegear 60 thereupon turns in the direction of the arrow, because of itsuneven distribution of weight, thereby moving into engagement with thecontinuously driven pinion 92 which then drives it in the samedirection. The pin 59 engages and actuates the lever 58, opening thescale pan, and the stop arm 61 is meanwhile restored to operativeposition. The driving of the gear 60 continues until it is disengaged,by the absence of teeth, from the pinion 92, and itis then arrested byengagement of the pin 59 with the stop 95.

In order that the delivery of fibers to the scale pan may be suspendedupon the ac cumulation therein of the desired weight, means are providedfor controlling the action of the apron 14 so that the apron shall berendered motionless during those periods when the scale pan is depressedto its lower position. A brief description of such controlling meanswill be suii'icientat this time inasmuch as similar means for the samepurpose are illustrated and described in detail in my Patent 872,719.

The shaft 16 which drives the apron 14 has a bevel gear 94 intermeshingwith a pinion 99 loosely mounted upon the upstanding shaft 91. Thepinion is provided with clutch teeth and is adapted to be clutched toits shaft by an axially movable clutch member 100 secured upon the shaftby a spline. The member 100 has a peripheral groove which receives theforked end of a bellcrank lever 101 whose fulcrum is at 102.

The other end of the lever 101 is equipped with suitable trippingmechanism 103 by which it may be moved so as to disengage the normallyoperative clutch member 100. For the purpose of moving the lever 101, Iprovide an actuator 104 in the form of an inverted pendulum, and aneccentric 105 on the shaft 91, with suitable connection between theeccentric and the actuator. The tripping mechanism 103 is connected by arod 106 to one of the scale beams 56 in such a manner that when thescale pan is elevated the tripping mechanism is retracted from the pathof the swinging actuator 104, but when the scale pan is at its lowerposition, the tripping mechanism is in the path of the actuator so thatitmay be thereby moved, and so disengage the clutch 100. A suitabledetent (not shown) may be employed to hold the tripping mechanism in thelatter position notwithstanding the repeated movements of the actuator.

In reviewing the weighing and discharging operations, it may be seenthat the fibers are weighed in equal quantities and discharged at equalintervals of time. The means for causing the' discharge of the scalepan, while initially inactive, is rendered active at equal intervals bythe constantly driven feed apron.

It is to be understood that the thickness of the layer automaticallydeposited by the scale pan is varied intentionally at times by theposition of the weights. The present machine enables such variation tobe compensated for by means of the slotted and adjustable connectionswith the pusher and by means of the change gears described. A thin layerof stock, for instance, needs either a faster speed of reciprocation ora greater distance of travel. Heretofore so far as I am aware, no meanshave been provided whereby the speed of the pusher could be variedrelatively to the speed of the apron.

Having now described my invention, what 1 claim is 1. In an automaticweighing and feeding machine for fibrous materials, a chamber forcontaining a relatively large quantity of such material in bulk, atransferring apron having projecting points to engage and lift thefibrous material, a comb having recesses for the passage of said apronpoints, the relationship of the apron and comb being such that theirpoints intersect, and means whereby the paths of travel of said pointsrelatively to the sides of said recesses may be adjusted.

2. In an automatic weighing and feeding machine for fibrous material, achamber for containing a relatively large quantity of such material inbulk, a transferring apron having projecting points to engage and liftthe fibrous material, a comb having recesses for the passage of saidapron points, and adjustably mounted rolls engaging the sides of theapron to control the paths of travel of said points relatively to thesides of said recesses.

3. In an automatic weighing and feeding machine for fibrous materials, achamber for containing a relatively large quantity of such material inbulk, a transferring apron composed of a series of transverse laterallyinflexible slats having chain link connections, said slats havingprojecting points adapted to engage and lift the fibrous material, andadjustable guide-rolls mounted on the opposite walls of said chamber soas to engage the ends of the apron slats.

4. In an automatic weighing and feeding machine for fibrous materials, achamber for containing a relatively large quantity of such material inbulk, an endless transferring laterally inflexible apron, a comb bodilymovable in a curved path approximately tangent to the surface of theapron and having its teeth extending toward the same, a

plurality of series of points projecting outwardly from the apron, eachseries being adapted to pass between two adjacent teethof the comb,andguide-rolls adjustably mounted in the walls of said chamber andadapted to engage the edges of the apron and guide it so as to cause theseries of points to accuratel register with the spaces between the comteeth.

5. In an automatic weighing and feeding machine for fibrous materials, achamber for containing a relatively large quantity of such material inbulk, a transferring apron mounted upon a pair of rotatable shafts andforming one wall of the chamber, an oscillatory comb mounted in saidchamber and adapted to cooperate with one stretch of the apron, anoscillatory stripping comb adapted to cooperate with the other stretchof the apron, adjustable guide rolls for accurately guiding the apronrelatively to the comb, and means operable by one of said shafts foroscillating the stripping comb.

6. A machine of the character described,

comprising a feed apron, a reciprocatory pusher movable in a pathadjacent and substantially parallel to the feed surface of the a ron, apair of reciprocatory members mova le in unison in paths adjacentthe'ends of the pusher, slotted members connecting each reciprocatorymember with one end of the pusher, means adjustably secured in saidslot-ted members so as to impart more or less movement to the pusher,and means for providing for lost motion at either or both ends of themovement of the pusher.

7: A machine of the character described, comprising a feed apron, areciprocatory pusher movable in a path adjacent and substantiallyparallel to the feed surface of the apron, a transversely extendingrockshaft, a pair of levers aflixed to the shaft, means driven by theapron and connected to one of said levers for oscillating the same, andadjustable means connecting the free end of each lever with one end ofthe pusher and adapted to impart all or a part of the movement of thelevers to the pusher.

8. A machine of the character described comprising an endless feed apronmounted on rotatable shafts, a reciprocatory pushboard movable in a pathadjacent and substantially parallel to the feed surface of the apron, adriving gear on one shaft of the apron, a driven gear adjustably mountedto accommodate driving gears of various sizes, a pair of rock armsconnected so as to be movable in unison and each connected to one end ofthe pushboard, and means connecting said driven gear and one of saidrock arms for imparting reciprocatory movement to the latter.

9. A machine of the character described, comprising a uniform speed feedapron, a reciprocatory pushboard movable in a path adjacent andsubstantially parallel to the feed surface of the apron, a driving gearmovable in unison with the apron, a driven gear adjustably mounted toaccommodate driving gears of various sizes, a pair of rock arms movablein unison, means actuated by the driven gear for reciprocating the rockarms, and means connecting each rock arm with one end of the pushboardand adapted to be adjusted so as to impart thereto movement equal to orless than that of the rock arms.

10. A machine of the character described, comprising a feed apron, amatting, device, a reciprocatory pusher, means including a lost motionconnection for actuating the pusher, and means for varying or prevent--ing such lost motion.

11. A machine of the character described, comprising a feed apron, aweighing receptacle adapted to discharge its contents upon the apron,initially inactive means for dis charging the receptacle, andcontrolling means operated by the apron for rendering the dischargingmeans active at equal inthe apron for rendering the discharging tervals.means active at equal intervals. 10

12. A machine of the character described, In testimony whereof I haveafixed my comprising a feed apron, a Weighing recepsignature, inpresence of two Witnesses.

tacle adapted to discharge its contents upon DANIEL C. FISHER. theapron, initially inactive means for dis- Witnesses: charging thereceptacle, a reciprocable C. F. BROWN,

pusher, and controlling means operated by P. W. Pnzznrrr.

